Understanding of adoption

Level five: over twelve yearsChildren of this age tend to see their relationship with their adoptive family as permanent. They are fully aware of what their adoption means and how parental responsibility was legally transferred from their birth parents to you.

Developing and understanding one’s identity is an important and natural part of being a teenager. An important part of this may well be for them to try to find out more about their birth family, possibly even wanting to meet them. Although it is difficult, you should not see this as a threat because it is simply your child’s attempt to learn more about where they came from, rather than a threat to the future. [Back to top]